Automatic door closing hinge



Sept. 23, 1958 c. c. OLSEN AUTOMATIC DOOR CLdSING HINGE Filed March 27, 1957 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS tates Patent fitlc 2,852,803 Patented Sept. 23, 1958 AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING HINGE Clarence C. Olsen, Chicago, 111.

Application March 27, 1957, Serial No. 648,945

4 Claims. (Cl. 16-454) The present invention relates to automatic door closing hinges, and more particularly to such hinges which utilize the weight of the door for its actuation.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a door hinge having cam means associated therewith for causing the weight of the door to automatically close the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge of the class described above in which one leaf of the hinge is caused by cam action to move vertically with respect to the other leaf sliding on the hinge pintle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic door closing hinge which can be formed by slightly modifying the structure of conventional hinges and adding the cam actuating mechanism thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic door closing hinge which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use and install, and which is'completely effective in automatically closing a door under pressure of the weight of the door.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hinge embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a hinge embodying the invention, with the hinge leaves arranged perpendicularly to each other in a door open position.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-section taken along the line 5--5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally a door hinge constructed in accordance with the the invention.

The door hinge 10 comprises a generally rectangular hinge leaf 11 having a plurality of bores 12 arranged in spaced relation thereon to receive securing elements (not shown) attaching said leaf to a door jamb (not shown). The hinge leaf 11 is provided with a plurality of cylindrical aligned hinge barrel members 13, 14 and 15 integrally extending therefrom. The hinge barrels 13, 14 and 15 are arranged in substantially spaced relation, as best seen in Figure 1.

A second hinge leaf 16 of generally rectangular form is provided with a plurality of bores 17 through which attaching elements (not shown) are adapted to extend in securing the hinge leaf '16 to a door (not shown).

A pair of hinge barrels 18 and 19 are respectively positioned between the hinge barrels 13, 14, and 14, 15 and are integrally formed on one side edge of the hinge leaf 16. The hinge barrels 18 and 19 are substantially shorter than the spaces between the hinge barrels 13, 14,

. an integral head 21 formed on its upper end. A cap 22 is positioned on the lower end of the lower hinge barrel 15 for the sake of appearance.

The construction of the hinge leaves 11 and 16 is conventional with the exception of the short hinge barrels 18 and 19 which permit vertical movement of the hinge leaf 16 with respect to the hinge leaf 11..

The hinge barrel 14 is provided with a shaft 23 extending radially therefrom approximately perpendicularly to the hinge leaf 11. The shaft 23 has a head 24 on its outer end and has a roller 25 journalled thereon in engagement with the head 24. A collar 26 is positioned on the shaft 23 between the roller 25 and the hinge barrel 14 spacing the roller 25 on the shaft 23.

A cam plate 27 has a generally arcuate form arranged in spaced parallel relation to the hinge barrel 14. The cam plate 27 is provided with an offset base portion 28 which is secured inengagement with the hinge leaf 16 by means of securing elements 29. The lower edge 30 of the cam plate 27 slopes upwardly from the base 28 and engages the roller 25 to lift the hinge leaf 16 with respect to the hinge leaf 11 as the hinge leaf 16 is pivoted on the pintle 28 toward leaf 11. Obviously, the hinge barrels 18 and 19 on the leaf 16 will move upwardly with respect to the hinge barrels 13, 14 and 15 on the leaf 11.

The hinge leaf 16 is recessed at 31 on its inner edge to receive the inner end of the roller 25 when the hinge leaf 16 is moved to open position. This permits the hinge leaf 16 to be moved into perpendicular relation to the hinge leaf 11 before the inner end of the roller 25 engages against the hinge leaf 16 to restrict further opening movement. Obviously, the hinge leaf 16 will move downwardly automatically and simultaneously pivot on the pintle 20 to close a door (not shown) supported thereby.

Referring now to the modification illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, an automatic door closing hinge 10a is illustrated having hinge leaves 11a, 16a pivotally secured together by a pintle 24M. A roller 25a is supported on a shaft similar to shaft 23, and similarly provided with a head similar to head 24 and a collar similar to collar 26, at approximately 45 to the hinge leaf 11a, as can be best seen in Figure 5, and a cam plate 27a is provided with a base 28:: secured to the hinge leaf 16a by securing elements 2%.

The cam plate 27a has a cam surface 313a on the underside thereof which engages the roller 25a to lift the hinge leaf 16a with respect to the hinge leaf 11a. The hinge leaf 11a is provided with an elongated slot 32 through which the cam plate 27a is adapted to extend to permit the hinge leaf 16a to be swung on pintle 20a toward leaf 11a to a position wherein the angle therebetween is somewhat less than a right angle.

The operation of the automatic door closing hinge 10a is identical otherwise to that of the automatic door closing hinge 1i) and differs therefrom only in that the door (not shown) may be swung to a somewhat wider position when being opened.

It will be understood that the cam plates 27 and 27a may be secured by means such as spot welding or might be made integral with the parts to which they are secured.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the inevntion, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to Without depar ing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic door closing hinge comprising a pair of generally rectangular flat hinge leaves having openings extending therethrough for the passage of securing elements, a plurality of cylindrical axially aligned spaced apart hinge barrels integrally joined to one edgeof one of said hinge leaves, a plurality of cylindrical axially aligned spaced apart hinge barrels integrally secured to one edge of the other of said hinge leaves, said second named plurality of hinge barrels being positioned in the spaces between said first named plurality of hinge barrels in axial alignment therewith and each having a length somewhat less than the corresponding space between said first named plurality of hinge barrels to permit vertical movement of said second named plurality of hinge barrels with respect to said first named plurality of hinge barrels, a pintle extending through said first and said second named plurality of hinge barrels pivotally securing said one hinge leaf to said other hinge leaf, a shaft mounted in one of said hinge barrels of said first named plurality of binge barrels and extending radially outward- 1y therefrom, a roller journalled on said shaft adjacent the outer end thereof, means on said shaft positioning said roller thereon, an arcuate cam plate arranged generally concentrically of said pintle in spaced relation to said hinge barrels, means detachably securing said cam plate to the other of said hinge leaves, and a sloping cam surface formed on the lower edge of said cam plate for engagement with said roller whereby upon pivotal movement of said other hinge leaf upon said pintle said other hinge leaf is vertically raised with respect to said one hinge leaf.

2. An automatic door closing hinge comprising a pair of generally rectangular flat hinge leaves, a plurality of cylindrical axially aligned spaced apart hinge barrels integrally joined to one edge of one of said hinge leaves, a plurality of cylindrical axially aligned spaced apart hinge barrels integrally secured to one edge of the other of said hinge leaves, said second named plurality of hinge barrels being positioned in the spaces between said first named plurality of hinge barrels in axial alignment therei with and each having a length somewhat less than the spaces between said first named plurality of hinge barrels to permit vertical movement of said second named plurality of hinge barrels with respect to said first named plurality of hinge barrels, a pintle extending through said first and said second named plurality of hinge barrels pivotally securing said one hinge leaf to said other hinge leaf, a roller, a support member extending radially outwardly from one of said first named plurality of hinge barrels, said roller being journalled on said support member, an arcuate plate arranged generally concentrically of said pintle in radially spaced relation to said hinge barrels, and means detachably securing one end of said plate to said other of said hinge leaves, said plate having a sloping cam surface formed on the lower edge thereof engaging with said roller whereby upon pivotal movement of said other hing leaf during opening of the door said roller rides along said cam surface and said other hinge leaf is thereby vertically raised with respect to said one hinge leaf.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the other end of said plate overlies said roller, the cam surface of said plate engaging said roller when said door is in closed position, and said other hinge leaf has a recess therein for receiving the inner end of said roller when said door is fully opened. I

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the other end of said plate is spaced from and said cam surface of said plate is out of engagement with said roller when said door is in closed position, and said one hinge leaf has a slot therein receiving said other end of said plate when said door is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,386,621 Hughes Aug. 9, 1921 2,747,238 Jones et al May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,203 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1797 

